R 052045Z NOV 13
UNCLASSIFIED/
MARADMIN 590/13
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP//
SUBJ/DOD OBSERVANCE OF NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH NOVEMBER 2013//
POC/M. J. SHEPPARD/ CIV/ CMC (MPE)/-/TEL: DSN 278-9371/TEL: COMM 703 784 9371//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. FROM THE BIRTH OF THE UNITED STATES, NATIVE AMERICANS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE WITH DISTINCTION. THROUGH THEIR CULTURE OF CHARACTER AND COURAGE, NATIVE AMERICANS HAVE PROUDLY SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES MILITARY FOR MORE THAN 200 YEARS. PRESIDENT GEORGE H. W. BUSH FIRST DECLARED NOVEMBER AS NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH IN 1990. THE MONTH HONORS AND CELEBRATES THE CULTURES OF AMERICAN INDIANS, OR NATIVE AMERICANS, AND ALASKAN NATIVES. THIS NOVEMBER IN OBSERVANCE OF NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, WE TAKE TIME TO HONOR AND RECOGNIZE THE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY THE NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNITY. THE 2013 NATIONAL THEME IS "GUIDING OUR DESTINY WITH HERITAGE AND TRADITIONS."
2. IN MAY 1942, THE FIRST 29 NAVAJO MARINE RECRUITS ATTENDED BOOT CAMP. LATER, AT CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA, THIS FIRST GROUP CREATED THE NAVAJO CODE.  THEY DEVELOPED A DICTIONARY AND NUMEROUS WORDS FOR MILITARY TERMS. THE DICTIONARY AND ALL CODE WORDS HAD TO BE MEMORIZED DURING TRAINING. FROM GUADALCANAL, TARAWA, PELELIU, TO IWO JIMA, THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS TOOK PART IN EVERY ASSAULT THE U.S. MARINES CONDUCTED IN THE PACIFIC FROM 1942 TO 1945. THEY SERVED IN EVERY MARINE DIVISION, IN MARINE RAIDER BATTALIONS AND MARINE PARACHUTE UNITS, TRANSMITTING MESSAGES BY TELEPHONE AND RADIO IN THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGE, A CODE THAT THE JAPANESE NEVER BROKE.
3. DURING NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, COMMANDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THE DEDICATED SERVICE AND UNIQUE CONTRIBUTIONS OF NATIVE AMERICAN, PAST AND PRESENT, TO OUR COUNTRY AND CORPS.  COMMANDERS ARE FURTHER ENCOURAGED TO CONDUCT AND PROMOTE PARTICIPATION IN OBSERVANCE EVENTS AT THEIR COMMANDS AND IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
4. RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY (SES) M. F. APPLEGATE, DIRECTOR, MANPOWER PLANS AND POLICY DIVISION, MANPOWER AND RESERVE AFFAIRS.//